Apparatus for manufacturing ice



.lune 3 924.

N. COATE APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ICE 1 t e e h s s L e e h S 3grwwnoc Af. baiew dauw: @not e115 June 3 E924.

N. COATE APPARATUS F011 MANUFACTURING 10E Filed April 17. 1922 3Sheets-Sheet 2 HUU DUDE@ VEI QWLEV @In j El Ummmmmmmmmmm g* mmmmmmmmmJV. Codici.

June 3 1920 y 1,496,625

N. COATE APPARATUS -FOR MANUFACTURING ICE Filed April 17. 1922 5Sheets-Sheet 3 .57 Av* 250W.

JY. @oai-ef.

3 nuenko'o n: 1 l APPARATUS Fon MANUFACTURING ron.

Patented June 3, 1924,

,r IT E S T .r

T E S i i I NOAH COATE, OF GREENVILLE, OHIO.

Application filed April 17,1922. Serial No. 553,336.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, NOAH CoA'rn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Greenville,

' in the county of Darke and State of Ohio,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forManufacturing Ice, of which the following is a specification.

rThis invention relates to a novelmethod of and apparatus formanufacturing ice and has as its general object to provide means wherebyice may be manufactured in blocks at a minimum cost wherever `climaticconditions are suitable. Y

The present invention contemplates the production of ice in blocks wherethe atmospheric temperature is below freezing, the general propositionbeing to expose a number of cans of water to the freezing temperatureand thus produce blocks of ice, and one of the objects ofthe presentinvention is to provide means whereby to eect a solidification of thewater in a manner to allow for free upward expansion in the cans as theice is formed and thus prevent bursting of the cans or their subjectionto stresses which would be imposed if no such means were provided. iAnother object of the invention is to devise an apparatus for thecarrying out of the invention in the nature of a rbuilding structurehaving its several parts so arranged as to provide for the mostexpeditious production of ice.

Another object of the invention is to provide within the structure meanswhereby the ice formed in any one of the several cans may be readilyloosened .to permit of its being discharged in block form from the canand without the necessity of striking blows upon the can.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the building structure constitutingthe apparatusfor carrying out the methodl of the invention;

Figure 2 is view through ture;l f

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through thestructure;

Figure l "is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the lineP-4 of Figure 2; Y j

a. vertical transverse sectional the front part of the struc- Figure 5is a detail transverse sectional view through one of the cans;

Figure 6 is a detail vertical sectionalv view taken substantially on theline 6-6 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 7 is a perspective view illustrating a tiltable rack;

Figure 8 is a similar view illustrating a housing in which the rackshown in Figure 7 is mounted.

The apparatus by which the method of the invention is carried out is inthe nature of building structure indicated in general by the numeral 1and comprising side walls 2, a rear end wall 3, a front wall 4, and aroof 5. The upper portion of the structure is preferably closed on allsides, a door 6 being provided however at some convenient point in oneof the walls 2, 3 or 4, whereby entrance may be gained to the upperportion of the structure. The lower portion of the structure is open atits ends and also if desired at its sides by providing doorways T in thecorresponding walls and which doorways may be closed by doors 8 slidablyor otherwise mounted.

The upper and lower portions of the interior of the structure areseparated or divided by the assemblage of water cans in which the wateris to be frozen, and these cans are indicated in general by the numeral9 and each is preferably of the rectangular form illustrated in thedrawings and com prises side walls 10, end walls 11, and a bottom 12,each can being open at its top. The cans may be of sheet metal, orotherwise formed, and there is arranged and secured upon the exterior ofeach can a supporting iange 14 which maybe in the nature of an angleiron bar shaped to rectangular framelike form and surrounding the opentop of thecan. The projecting wings of the supporting flanges 14 aredesigned to rest upon the upper edges of stringere 15 built kwithin thestructure 1, the cans being in this manner suspendedbetween thestringers so that all except their open tops will be exposed to theatmosphere within the lower or cold zone of the structure. As the cansare disposed -close together and side by side and the assemblage extendsover substantially the entire area of the interior of the structure 1,the assemblage will as stated separate or divide the interior of thestructure into upper an lower sections or zones. vTherefore when thedoors 8 are .opened and air is permitted to circulate freely through thestructure beneath the assemblage of cans, this portion of the interiorof the structure will constitute a cold or refrigerating zone. Howeverthe upper portion of the interior of the structure constitutes a zone inwhich other temperature conditions prevail as will now be explained.

The stringers 15 are so arranged as to provide an opening` 16 located ata suitable point within the structure preferably near the wall 4thereof. Arranged within the opening 16 is a housing 17 open at its topand bottom and at its side which is presented toward the rear wall 3 ofthe structure, the said housing .comprising side walls 1S and avrearwall 19. The purpose of this` housing will be presently explained. ,Arranged within the open bottom of the housing is a grating or register2O through which heated air is to be delivered from a pipeless furnaceindicated by the numeral 21, this furnace being located within the ycoldor refrigerating zone of the structure where it may be convenientlyvattended. For a purpose to be presently explained a tank 22 is arrangedbetween two of the stringers 1.5 adjacent the furnace 21, and pipes- 23and 24 lead from a water coil or water space w-ithin the furnace 21 andcommunicate with the tank 22, the pipe being dcsigned to conduct waterfrom the water space of the furnace to the upper portion of the tank 22,and the pipe 2a being designed to conduct water from the bottoni of saidtank 22 to the said water space of the furnace. In this manner waterwithin the tank 22 is maintained at a more or less elevated temperature.A

The numeral 25 indicates in general a rack or supporting frame structurewhich is mounted within the housing 17 and com prises sides 26, a bottom27, a cleat 2S which extends across the front of the structure at theforward edge of the bottom 27, a cleat 29 which extends in a front torear direction along the upper side of the bottom 27 between the sides26, cross pieces 30 which extend between the said sides 26 near theirupper ends, and a division piece 31 which extends between the crosspieces 30. This frame is provided upon its sides 26 with trunnions 32which are mountedv in suitable bearings 3,3 upon the inner faces of thesides 1S of the housing 17, and in this manner the said structure 25 issupported for tilting movement so that it may occupy the uprightposition Ashown in Fig. 6 of the drawings,- in full lines, or may betilted to assume Ia more or less horizontal position as illustrated in.dotted lines in said figure. The numeral 34 indicates a chute which.

leads downwardly from the open front of the housing 1 7, as best shownin Figs. 3 and 6 of the drawings, and is adapted to discharge into anyconvenient storage space either within or exterior to the structure, thereceiving end of the chute being located in such position that when theframe structure 25 is tilted to the dotted line position shown in Fig.6, the open top. of the frame structure will be disposed directly abovethe said end of the chute. For a purpose to be presently explained agutter 36 is formed or provided in the grating L() about the reticulatedarea of the grating, as best shown in F ig. 6.

In carrying out the method, the cans 9 are filled with water as is alsothe tank 22, the doors 8 are opened to permit the free circulation ofair through the cold or refrigerating zone of the structure, and amoderate lire is built in the furnace 21. The heated air currentsdelivered from the furnace 21 will pass up through the register orgrating 2O and circulate in the upper or temperate zone of the structureand by their presence will retard the freezing of the water in the cansnear the surface. However, the lower portions of the cans are exposed tothe cold atmospheric currents in the cold or refrigerating zone of thestructure, vand in a short space of time the water will congeal andfreeze in the cans., this changein form taking place graduallyin anlupward direction rather than from the surface downward as .is the casewhere a container of water is exposed on all sides to the atmosphere ata freezing temperature. Then the contents of the cans have becomecompletely frozen, the formed blocks of ice may be discharged therefromin the following manner. The frame structure 25 is adapted to receive iand support two of the cans 9, as best shown in 2 and 6 of the drawings,and the cans are placed within the said structure and while supportedthereby will be exposed to the heated air currents rising through theregister or grating 20. This will serve to loose'nthe cakes of iceformed within the cans, and if desired, during this operation, aremovable lid 87 may be applied to the top of each can so as to equalizethe temperature. After the blocks of ice have been loosened in themanner stated, the lids 37 are removed, andthe structure 25 is thentilted upon the trunnions 32 from the full line position shown in Fig. 6to substantially the dotted line position shown in said figure whereuponthe blocks of ice will be discharged froml the cans into thev upper endof the chute 2,4@ and will slide by gravity down this chute to thedelivery end thereof.

.When it is found expedient or desirable, any one of the cansv may beremoved'from its position where it is supported by the stringers 15 andmay be temporarily immersed inthe water in the tank 22 so as to effecta. loosening of the hloclr of ice formed in the can whereupon the bloclrmay be readily dislodged.

Preferably a number of boards 38 are disposed within the structurepromiscuously upon the top of the cans supported by the stringers andmay be moved about trom place to place and thus employed as a surfaceupon which an attendant may walls in replenishing the cans or attendingto the discharge of the cakes of ice formed therein.

The gutter 36 constitutes a means for collecting any water which may bedischarged from the cans as result of the partial thawing of the iceblock while the cans are supported within the structure Having thusdescribed the invention what is claimed as new is:

l. An apparatus for the manufacture of ice comprising a structure havingan enclosed Aupper chamber and a lower refrigerating chamber whichlatter is adapted to belopen to the atmosphere.y means for supporting awater container within the refrigerating chamber of the structure withits top presented within the upper chamber, and means for maintaining atemperature above freezing within said upper' chamber.

2. In apparatus for the manufacture of ice, a structure having anenclosed upper chamber and a lower` chamber which latter is open to theatmosphere, a container supported within the structure with its majorlower portion situated within the said lower chamber and having an opentop presented within the upper chamber, .and means for supplying heatedair currents to the said upper chamber.

3. In apparatus for the manufacture of ice, a structure having anenclosed upper chamber and a lower chamber which latter is open to theatmosphere, a container supported within the structure with its majorlower portion situated within the said lower chamber and having an opentop presented within the upper chamber, and means for supplying heatedair currents to the said upper chambera said means comprising a heatingfurnace arranged within the said lower chamber and having its hot airoutlet positioned to discharge into the upper cham- 4;. In apparatus forthe manufacture of ice, a structure having an enclosed upper chamber anda lower chamber which latter is open to the atmosphere, a container supported within the structure with it-s major lower portion situatedwithin the said lower chamber and having an open top presented withinthe upper chamber, heating means for supplying heated air currents tothe said upper chamber7 a water tank within the structure, and means forsupplying heated water from the heating means to the said tank, thefirst mentioned container being displacedly supported whereby it may beremoved from its supporting means and immersed in said tank.

5. In apparatus for the manufacture of ice, a structure having anenclosed upper chamber and a lower chamber which latter is Open to theatmosphere, a container supported within the structure with its majorlower portion situated within the said lower chamber and having an opentop presented within the upper chamber. means for supplying heated aircurrents to the said upper chamber, said means comprising a heatingfurnace arranged within the said lower chamber and having its hot airoutlet positioned to discharge into the upper chamber, and a tiltablesupporting means for said container located above the heating furnace.

In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature.

NOAH COATE.

